Sent out With Power (Acts 13:1-12)

One Thursday, I was picking up my littles from school. Everything was going well! We were all set to watch Sage perform her cheers, our expedition was packed, and everyone was in. I put the key in the ignition…

Click. Click. Click.

Nothing but rapid clicks. It turns out my youngest had left the hazard lights on.

No problem—I pulled out our battery charger and waited. Still nothing.

Friday morning, I tried again. Nothing. I left the battery charger on for a few hours. Still nothing. So, I walked to the auto store, bought a new battery, and carried it back a few blocks (those things get heavy after a while).

It took some time to change the battery, but when I turned the key, the engine roared to life! I was excited—until I realized something was still wrong. The power steering wasn’t working, and electrical errors started popping up.

So… it turns out the alternator is a pretty crucial part of the charging system. Without it, the battery eventually dies, and the engine has no power. In other words, the vehicle can’t function the way it was designed to without a connection to its power source.

The Early Church: Powered by the Spirit

This is a picture of how Christ orders His Church. In the early Church, different people were called to different roles, each playing a vital part in carrying out God’s mission in the world.

Ephesians 4 outlines these roles:

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Shepherds (pastors)
• Teachers

This fivefold ministry (often called APEST) is like a fist—five fingers working together to deliver a powerful impact.

Without these roles functioning as God intended, the Church loses power. The Holy Spirit works through all of these roles collectively to keep the Church running as it should.

The Church in Antioch was no different.

Antioch was a diverse community and the central hub for Christianity. In fact, it was here that believers were first called “Christians”—a nickname given by outsiders, mocking them for being “little Christs.”

But instead of keeping everything in-house, the believers knew they had to send people out to spread the Gospel.

Paul & Barnabas: Sent Out in Power

Paul and Barnabas were prayed over and commissioned to reach the Gentiles—non-Jewish people considered outsiders to the faith.

This was the only way God’s mission would advance—by the Spirit leading, guiding, and empowering His people.

Paul followed a pattern in his ministry:

Go to the synagogues first to preach to the Jews.

Then go to the Gentiles—taking the message to those outside the Jewish community.

As Paul (formerly Saul) began using his Greek name, he became more relatable to the people he was trying to reach. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, his words carried authority, leading to transformed hearts and changed lives.

But Paul also knew this truth: If he tried to minister in his own power, he would fail.

He had to be recharged daily by the Spirit. He also understood the importance of partnership—bringing others along in the mission, equipping them to use their God-given gifts.

Opposition from the Enemy

Of course, as with Jesus (Mark 1), Paul’s ministry faced spiritual opposition right from the start.

One of his first major encounters was with Bar-Jesus, a false prohphet and sorcerer, as well as Elymas, a orcerer who led people away from God’s truth.

A false prophet is anyone who redirects people’s focus away from Jesus—whether to another god, another ideology, or even themselves.

Paul had enough of Elymas.

“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10, NIV)

Harsh words? Maybe. But Paul was simply calling out the truth—Elymas had been listening to the wrong source.

Then Paul took it a step further:

“Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” (Acts 13:11, NIV)

This was one of three times in Acts where God Himself caused an illness or affliction.

Why blindness?

Because Elymas was already spiritually blind. Now, his physical blindness would serve as a sign to everyone around him.

And it worked.

The governor, who had been listening to Elymas, witnessed this and immediately became a believer in Jesus.

What’s the Point?

So, what does this all mean for us today?

What is your power source?

The “right” answer is Jesus, but what actually guides your decisions?

What gets most of your time, energy, and focus?

Who are you walking with?

Paul didn’t do ministry alone. He trained and empowered others.

Who are the people around you? How are you serving together?

Are you listening to the Holy Spirit?

The Spirit speaks—but are you paying attention?

Are you open to being led, even when it challenges your plans?

Stay Connected to the Power of the Spirit

Like a car needs power to function, the Church only moves forward when believers are filled with the Spirit and sent out in His power.

And that’s still happening today.

The Church moves forward because men and women are being equipped, empowered, and sent out—proclaiming God’s message and demonstrating His power in both word and deed.

So, let’s ask ourselves:

Are we staying connected to the Spirit?

Or are we trying to run on an empty battery?

Because when we stay plugged into God’s power, the results are unstoppable.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (You can also ask your own questions or begin a discussion starter)

• What stands out to you in this scripture? In other words, what is the Holy Spirit impressing on you to notice?

• What did the early church/apostles do in this scripture? How do you see Jesus working in this picture? How can you translate this for today?

• How is our church mission and culture the same from the early church mission and culture? How is it different?

• What challenges you in this scripture? Why? How might the Spirit be leading you?

• Take time to pray about what the Spirit is leading you to do. Are you being led to do something within or through this church because of the Spirit’s word in this scripture? What would that look like? How could you begin?

• What can you do, today, to be more in tune with the Spirit’s leading in this passage?

HOMEWORK:CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE “TRANSFORMATION 1:8” BOOK CHALLENGE